February, the host month of Valentine’s Day, instantly makes me feel all lovey-dovey just by flipping over the page on the calendar. I start thinking of love notes, secret admirers, and who I could surprise with heart-shaped cupcakes. (zucchini cupcakes, of course.)

It would be really nice if we could live everyday like this, but life is busy.

So we probably don’t.

If we are totally honest here, many times it is the people we love the very most that get the least of our loving attention. At least somedays.

Busy schedules, endless errands, and tons of responsibilities pull us in too many directions to keep track of. Lots of times, the day ends with a little yelling, a scramble for bedtime, and an exhausted mom collapsing on the couch.

No doubt we always remember to whisper to each of our children, “I love you” before one last kiss and turning out the lights.

But February, the month of love, demands so much more!

I have brainstormed some simple but sweet ways to step up and LOVE UP those little buggers who call you Mom!

Make their favorite meal.

Let them choose a movie or show they really want to see and watch it…. with fervor.

Let your kiddo choose your outfit. (You might reserve this for the weekend unless the fashion game is strong in your little one.

Cuddle up and just talk.

Pick a recipe and cook together.

Stay in their room a little longer when you tuck them in at night.

Write them a note that tells them something you love about them. Leave it where you know they will find it.

Ask their opinion about something. Really listen to their response.

Celebrate a victory that usually goes less noticed. A completed reading log, making their bed, helping a sibling. Make it a BIG DEAL.

Help them with a project like cleaning up their room or picking up toys. Hug them afterwards and tell them that you love spending time together.

Surprise them! Have ice cream for dinner, plan an after school excursion to the rock climbing park, or anything else you all find fun. Everyone likes a fun twist to the normal routine.

Try adding to your “I love you’s” by saying, “I love you because….”.

This is just the beginning! I bet you have ideas of your own, maybe even some you have tried in years past. Consider yourself invited to share your own ideas in a comment belong or even in our online moms group, The Real Moms Collaborative.

The hustle and bustle of the holidays can really distract us from the true spirit of the season, sometimes even stress us out. It has happened to me countless times over the years.

There is lots about the holiday season that I love: the lights, the hot cocoa, the time with family and friends. That stuff can all stay.

The parts I can do without are the rushing around, the stress, and anything that really misses the point of the season.

I really wanted to make a special effort this year to honor this season for all it is meant to be and to truly celebrate the season by just being present. I want to be present for my kids, my family, friends, and even myself. (That is why I am scheduling a 90-minute massage right smack in the middle of the busy season. Maybe you should too!)

Being present isn’t about stuff. It is about time and relationships.

Together with my three children, we put together a list of all the fun ways we could be present with each other this holiday season. Take a look at what we came up with but also think of your own. You can embrace any one of these ideas with your kids, with friends, or just solo.

25 Simple Ways to BE PRESENT Over the Holidays:

Look at old photos.

Find your favorite movie from when you were a kid and watch it with your favorite movie snack.

Make dinner for a friend and surprise them.

Stay up waaaaay past bedtime.

Rip up old magazines and make a collage.

Watch old videos.

Tell the story of how you met your one true love.

Make a coffee date.

Bundle up and watch the sunrise.

Read to each other.

Pick 5 new photos to frame.

Make hot cocoa from scratch.

Put together a new puzzle.

Build a snowman or woman. Give him or a her a name and then tell their story.

Learn a new card game.

Handwrite a note to a loved one.

Draw each other’s portraits and hang them up.

Have a dance party.

FaceTime someone you haven’t spoken to in a while.

Build an empire… with Lego.

Have a snowball “party” (because that sounds like more fun that a snowball “fight”).

Take a winter hike.

Have breakfast for dinner because this classic never gets old.

Have a candle light dinner.

Write your own fun idea down on a slip of paper, add it to a mason jar, and choose a new idea whenever you have a chance!

You can probably tell we tried to think of ways that didn’t cost tons of money and didn’t require too much tech time. We were aiming for ideas that could happen at the spur of the moment and as the opportunities presented themselves.

I bet you have a few wonderful ideas of your own. We would love to hear about them so please consider yourself invited to join our free online mom community, The Real Moms Collaborative. Come join the fun and share your ideas with us!

Right outside of the celebrations and busy time there is this amazing period where we naturally seem to reflect and look forward to the impending new year with hope and determination.

And I just love that.

I love looking back on my own year to celebrate what went well and to think about what didn’t. I think about what I have to try again and what to let go of. I think about how to grow and what realistic goals I want to set.

After that, the real work begins: working backwards, scheduling the time, creating a plan I can stick with, and finding the accountability.

This is where most of the moms I work with say they struggle.

Yes, we want to the amazing results but laying out the plan can be tricky.

Not only is it hard to find the time, it can feel overwhelming. Many of us tend to create plans that are too big for our daily schedule. Following through becomes a problem and before you know it you are doubting yourself or even giving up before you really even begin.

If you want to make this really work, ask yourself things like…

Am I being realistic?

What do I schedule first?

Could I go about this a different way?

How will I balance everything?

AND YOU DON’T HAVE TO DO ALL OF THIS ALONE.

Most of my clients agree that the biggest help to their personal goals is having someone with experience and insight just HELP them figure out how to begin.

I get it because the same was true for me.

And that is why I am so excited about the 2019 Success Planning Sessions!

The 2019 Success Planning Session is a specialized coaching session designed for busy moms to do several things:

Identify THE success YOU ARE WORKING FOR this coming year.

Break down your goals into long and short term benchmarks and tasks.

Create a plan for success that is manageable and realistic.

Set up accountability and check-ins in order to monitor your progress.

Find the motivation and inspiration to rock each one of your goals in 2019!